York, S.C., food bank gets a boost from benefit concert/Page 8B
®he Charlotte IPoSt
VOLUME 22 NO. 14
THE VOICE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY
THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 19,1996
75 CENTS
ALSO SERVING CABARRUS, CHESTER, ROWAN AND YORK COUNTIES
Newsmakers of the Year
Dawn Womack
Exhibit
breaks
ground
By John Minter
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Dawn Womack does things.
Things that break molds and
have far reaching impact
across the community.
This year, Womack, Spirit
Square’s vice president of arts
and education, brought the
Henrietta Marie slave ship
exhibit to Spirit Square in
uptown Charlotte. The project
weis so bold it even attracted
threats on Womack’s life.
During an interview for this
story, a woman called to com
plain about Angela Davis’ lec
ture Tuesday night.
Davis’ appearance was part
of an accompanying program
of lectures and seminars that
have brought to Charlotte the
likes of Anita HUl, Gwendolyn
Brooks, Derrick Bell, Peter
Greco, Sista Souljah, Isaiah
Madison and Liberian Sen.
William Tubman Jr.
Womack even included
locals: Bin Simms, B.E. Noel,
Vicki Crawford, Ike Heard Jr.,
Ron Deeper and Ahmad
Daniels.
While some may look
askance at what is essentially
an historical exhibit in an arts
center, Womack the doer sees
httle problem with that.
“It is extremely at3q)ical for
an arts center such as ours to
do, but also an arts center
should be doing things to ele
vate the community,” she seiid.
PHOTO/CALVIN FERGUSON
Spirit Square vice president of arts and education Dawn Womack was the driving force that
brought the Henrietta Marie exhibit to Charlotte.
“It was very appropriate. Art Womack stepped forward to
bring the Henrietta Marie tj
Charlotte after Discovery
Place, a science museum,
decided the exhibit is outside
its mission and could be per
ceived as negative.
The Afro-American Cultural
is not s3monymbus with frivoli
ty. Art attempts to demon
strate some very serious
aspects of society. If you look
at the exhibit, you can see this
as an opportunity to use art to
try to teach.”
Center was too small and the
Museum of the Nt South
covers a later historical period,
after the Civil War.
Womack wasn’t about to let
the opportunity to bring an
See WOMACK on page 3A
Gloria Pace King
Fourth pupil
plan is choice
of board
By John Minter
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials met their deadline and
adopted a pupil reassignment plan which moves 3,200 students to
populate two new high schools and achieve racial balance in the sys
tem.
The plan was altered from three earher proposals to answer com
plaints from some southeast Charlotte and Long Creek area parents.
But it left Matthews Elementary parents threatening to sue to have
their children assigned to the new southeast high school rather than
East Mecklenburg High.
School board member Arthur Griffin defended the board’s 8-1 vote
by sa}dng, “Look at where we have come from.”
The plan adopted Tuesday after a lengthy debate, wordd reassign
3,275 students or 13 percent of the system’s 93,000 students. Racial
balance would be improved from a range of 9-63 percent to 23-52 per
cent by 1998-99.
AH ninth-graders would be assigned to high schools under the three
proposals. Rising seniors could remain at their current schools if they
desire.
Blacks had accepted the proposals, despite some adjustments to
their attendance zones, because West Charlotte High School would
remain at least 50 percent black.
Under the original proposals, the new Education Village high school
near UNC Charlotte would open with a black population of 40 to 46
percent, depending on which proposal is approved. The new south
east hi^ sdiool would have a black population of 36 to 43 percent.
The opening of two new hi^ schools meant some reassignments
would ^ necessary and Supt. Eric Smith attempted to deal with
pupil assignments system wide in his initial proposals.
See REASSIGNMENT page 6A
Activists unite
to monitor local
police activity
By Jeri Young
THE CHARLOTTE POST
United Way chief leads record year
By Jeri Young
THE CHARLOTTE POST
PHOTO/SUE ANN JOHNSONN
Gloria Pace King, president of the United Way of the Central Carolinas, oversaw the orga
nization’s most successful campaign - $22.5 million. The holiday season will be brighter.
Gloria Pace King is never
quite satisfied.
A trailblazer. King has led the
United Way of the Carolinas in
three of its most successful cam
paigns ever, including a record
$22.5 million in gifts this year.
But she’s not satisfied. Not
with the new record. Not with
raising in excess of $60 million
during her three years on the
job in Charlotte.
There is always a new goal - a
new challenge.
King has set another goal; To
create a United Way that is
more diverse and accessible.
Achievement comes naturally
for the 51-year-old Cleveland
native.
See KING on page 2A
Grassroots organizations have
committed themselves to serv
ing as role models for action in
the wake of the shooting death
of unarmed black motorist
James Willie Cooper.
The decision handed down last
Monday by Mecklenburg
County District Attorney Peter
Gilchrist not to prosecute
Charlotte police Officer Michael
Marlow ignited swift and sure
reaction on several fronts, espe
cially among Afiican American
clergy.
Citing legal precedent,
Gilchrist explained the difficulty
of proving that Marlow, a two-
year veteran, did not act in self-
defense. Gilchrist’s verdict
means no criminal charges will
be filed.
Citizens for Justice, formed
after the 1993 poUce shooting of
Windy Gail Thompson, an
unarmed black motorist, has
strengthened its call for estab
lishment of an independent citi
zens review board to review
cases of police misconduct in the
wake of what they perceive as
the senseless killing of an
Afiican American.
The group, along with mem
bers of the Nation of Islam and
the Black Student Organization
at Central Piedmont Committee
College announced last week
the formation the much talked
about “Video Vanguard,” a rov
ing group of citizens that would
videotape routine police traffic
stops.
“This is a response to the fact
that after some two years of
attempting to get a citizens
review board, the idea has been
shelved,” said Minister Robert
Muhammad of the Nation of
Islam. “We hope to show the
need for watchfulness. We are
showing that if you’re not going
to do it from your end, we will
do it from our end.”
The program, which relies on
teams trained volunteers and
loaned video equipment, puts
cameras and cellular phones in
the hands of Vanguard mem
bers. Citizens who witness traf
fic stops could call a number
See GRASS ROOT on page 6A
Charlotte athlete broke color barrier in Shrine Bowl
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Thirty years ago, Titus Ivory
didn’t intend to become a pio
neer.
Ivory, then a West Charlotte
Hi^ School senior, and Tommy
Love of Sylva-Webster High,
played in the annual Shrine
Bowl football game, the first
African Americans to do so.
Both played on the North
Carolina team. During a time
when blacks were breaking
down racial barriers across the
South, Ivory, a defensive line
man, had a hand in changing
the social order.
“To some degree, I was spear
heading a movement that was
long overdue,” he said. “Any
time you’re first, you realize
there are others who’ll follow in
your footsteps, so whether you
know it or not, you’re a role
model.”
Making the Shrine Bowl
wasn’t a goal for Ivory, who
later played collegiately at
Morgan State for legendary
coach Earl Banks. His selection
was a surprise.
“It was a tremendous honor
for me,” said Ivory, a Charlotte
financial administrator. “It was
a shock for me to be considered.”
Ivory and Love, a running
back who went on to Michigan
State, more than held their own
in North Carolina’s 34-14 win
over South Carolina. Ivory
recorded five tackles for the Tsir
Heel defense, while Love, who
went on to Michigan State, was
named most valuable player.
The best part, though, was
being able to participate.
“I was just delisted to be part
of the system,” Ivoiy said. “I was
honored to be selected as one of
the best athletes in the state.”
Black athletes had been
barred from the Shrine Bowl,
but the omission of Myers Park
and former Second Ward High
running back Jimmy
Kirkpatrick in 1965 sparked
protests. Ivory was one of the
first to benefit from those
efforts.
“That started the process
where I could be picked,” he
said.
I
it.;'- tLM
See SHRINE on pageSA
ntus Ivory, holding awards from the 1966 high school football
son, helped break the color barrier at the Shrine Bowl.
Inside
Editorials 4A-5A
Strictly Business 8A
Lifestyles 10A
Religion 13A
Kids Page 17A
Sports 1B
A&E 4B
Regional News 8B
Classified 10B
Auto Showcase 13B
To subscribe, call (704) 376-
0496 or FAX (704) 342-2160.
© 1996 The Charlotte Post
Publishing Company.
Comments? Our e-mail address is:
charpost @ clt.mindspring.com
World Wide Web page address:
http://www.thepost.mindspring.com